As the University defends its title in the North American Solar Challenge, the weather could be a fierce rival, team members say.
The race started July 13 in Dallas and ends 10 days and 2,400 miles later in Calgary, Alberta.
Compared with the World Solar Challenge that cut across the Australian desert in October, the clouds and storms of the American Midwest can pose problems for vehicles that need sunlight to run.
“The weather is a lot more challenging in the North American race,” says Julia Hawley, a business major who is the team’s business manager. “In Australia, it’s pretty much sunny the whole time.”
During its practice race last month, the team lost several hours when it had to seek cover during a hailstorm. But the U-M team is prepared. It’s the job of a strategy division, which includes a meteorologist, to study the weather and decide whether the team should push though a storm, wait it out, or just slow down and let it pass.
Team Continuum (named after this generation of the car itself) is one of 24 teams competing in this race. Continuum finished seventh in its division in the World Solar Challenge in 2007 after an early crash set it back. The students had built a special “solar concentrator system” to track the sun and intensify it, but they’re not allowed to use it in the North American race. They’ve replaced the concentrator system with traditional solar cells and made other modifications to the car.
“We’re confident that the vehicle will be competitive,” Hawley says.
The Michigan team has finished first in four of the eight North American Solar Challenges it has entered. It has finished third in the World Solar Challenge three times.
With more than 100 members, it is one of the largest student organizations on campus, including students from the College of Engineering, LSA, the Stephen M. Ross School of Business, the School of Art & Design, and the School of Education.
